


Lady Mollari

by Ibenholt



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: F/M, Gender Roles, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7842004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A take on Londo's journey if things had been different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lady Mollari

The ambassador and his wife seem, at first, not to care about how they are perceived back home. He is sickly and unable to attend to all of his tasks, so she represents him half of the time. Vira is surprised to discover this, as she was told that Urza Jaddo was a pathetic little man, and his wife too ambitious for a Lady. There is love between them she has never seen the likes to. They kiss and come with declarations of love to each other at the festival, to the embarrassment of not only the Earthers, but to Delenn, too. Especially when Londo crawls onto the table in her finest dress and talks about their gods and goddesses. Vira tries her best to be diplomatic and explains their customs and ways. She is relieved to see that at least Ivanova is enjoying herself. But when the party is over, Urza and Londo drag themselves to their quarters. Londo takes a firm hold of Vir’s arm and puts their faces too close, “It’s the only way, you know. If we’re drunk, we’re happy. If we’re happy, we don’t have to care.” She pinches her chin and goes to lie besides her husband on the sofa. 

Mr. Morden makes Urza shudder. There is something about him he doesn’t like. He therefore replies coolly: ‘I want an end to all this madness’, and sends him off. Vira is relieved; Londo is angry the rest of the afternoon. She asks Urza if this is all they are to be. If she shall spend her life being a representative, errand girl and hostess for the remains of noble houses. When Urza doesn’t answer, she leaves them. She finds the young man later and he asks her his question. She replies without hesitation.

Timov, Daggair and Mariell have only two things in common: their marriage to Urza Jaddo and their hatred to his first wife. Londo tries to talk him into divorcing them, as the emperor can help him do that. But he refuses. Tries to joke and tells her he doesn’t want to burden someone else with them. She lets the matter lie, until the party where she studies the gift from Mariell and is poisoned by it. Urza is shocked when, near the end, Timov steps into med lab and tells them she has the same blood type as Londo. He kisses her hands and thanks her afterwards. She tells him he has been a fool to make favorites and that Londo, being the most annoying and power-greedy among the four of them, will bring him many enemies. Then she dryly comments that that horrid woman at least loves him. The three leaves, still married to Urza, and with an even lower opinion of their fellow wife than before. 

Vira hates Refa from the moment she first sees him. Londo dislikes him as well, she can see it, but he has power and influence that can tip the scales of Urza’s position. So she tries her best to ignore Refa’s leers and silent demands of refilling his glass. But when Londo promises Refa to destroy the Narn colony, she protests. Only to be reminded what her place is. Urza grants her an apologetic look, but his attention is soon turned back to his wife. It’s not until later that they realize the extent of what they have done. The destruction of Narn is more than he can bear, and she finds herself wishing, not for the first time, the deal with Mr. Morden had never been made. 

 

His eyes are black when he comes over her. They meet her again when she wakes up far away from her room and finds herself covered in bruises and her own blood. He is ravaging her mind, tearing out little pieces of information and mocking her with his discoveries. But when he finds out about her involvement with the shadows, his smile vanishes. He wants details. “Who are they?!” He roars. She refuses to talk and the force that comes from his next attack makes her howl in pain before everything goes dark around her. When she wakes up the next time, Urza and Vira stand over her, telling her she will be fine and that G’Kar has been sentenced to 60 days in prison. Vira adds that he carried her here himself. Urza has lost all respect for him and wants to insure that he is kept where he is until the universe ends. She stays awake even when they leave and she prays again and again that G’Kar did not discover the images from her dreams. How he sits at her side as an old Narn, holding her hand that is decorated with the ring of an emperor past, and telling her that he loves her, even if she does not return it.

After getting Vira drunk one night, Londo listens to her tell about her experiences with men. They have been limited due to her responsibilities to her home, as well as her lack of ‘social intelligence’ as her loving family referred to it. She is relieved to meet the girl’s fiancé, Lyndester Drusella. He is in many ways the perfect man for Vira. Forward, tall and handsome. He showers her with compliments when they meet, gives her flowers and insist on being with her whenever she can spare the time. To help, Londo makes sure to take care of herself and Urza. They plot together on how they can tighten the connection so that Vira can come further in her political career. She has begun covering herself up after her stay on Minbar, but Londo won’t have it. She contacts her favorite tailor and has him make Vira a dress she can seduce her fiancé in. Urza talks to Lyndester about Vira’s habits and temper, how she is a sweet girl that he is lucky to marry. Afterwards, he confesses to his wife that there seems to be something off about the boy, but he can’t set his fingers on it. Not until Vira later tells him about Lyndester’s father, the ‘culling of the herds’ and the unconscious Narn on the floor he asked her to kill. She lets it spill that she has spent her time helping Narns escape, just before the station command comes to an unexpected visit and reveals her actions to Londo. 

 

Londo knows how to ‘keep her cool’, as Mr. Garibaldi calls it. She is a politician, after all. But when Cartagia calls her out of bed late at night to let her meet her husband, and waves a servant forward that carries Urza’s head on a plate, she falls to her knees. The emperor seems not to notice her tears, her gags and the servants and nobles making a move based on reaction to walk over and help her. He pets the head, tells her about how he struggled and fought when they killed him. But he was sick all the time, and that they could not allow. He claps his hands and tells her he has a present for her that will make it all better. When G’Kar enters, battered and bleeding, she can’t feel happiness, nor a hint of satisfaction. She is numb with hate against the emperor, and fear for her beautiful Centauri Prime. A plan forms in her head, and she knows G’Kar won’t be able to say no when she later asks for his help. 

She doesn’t know why she screams ‘stop’. Doesn’t know why she talks against the emperor. He is shaking with rage when he orders them to strip her and whip her instead. G’Kar is speechless as he and Vir are sent out of the dungeon. The girl tries to run back, bangs at the door when it’s closed. Cartagia expects Londo to scream long before the 40th stroke, but is surprised when she doesn’t cry out before the 39th. As Londo sinks to the ground, he walks over to her and puts a gloved hand on her sweaty forehead. Tells her she is forgiven and is now ready to become a priestess for his temple. The scream was more than satisfactory. He opens the door, lets Vira in and leaves. She tries to clean Londo up, tears off pieces of her own dress and tries to stop the bleeding. Londo quietly promises Vira that this is not the end and that they will kill Cartagia. And it is done. While he keeps her in a lock and laments his fate, Vira kills him before he can kill Londo. 

 

Urza comes to her at the day of the dead. He warns her of the Drakh, reminds her of the prophecy. He then embraces her and carries her to their bed. The next morning he is gone, but Londo does not mourn. She must save her planet. Already the rumors are pouring in about Regent Virini’s madness and drunkenness. The Eye that does not see is the key, she remembers. The raiders are dying out, and sell it to her for less than a tenth of what it’s worth. Once she has brought it back to its proper place, the matter attends to itself. The Shadows calls their lackeys to them from beyond the rim. 

Virini is crowned emperor with members of all the races of the Alliance attending. Vira is on one side as ambassador to the Alliance, Londo is on the other as Prime minister. Timov, Daggair and Mariel stand in the first row. They will be their spies and allies, because they have found that the well-being of their planet is another thing they have in common. The hunt for the Drakh has left Centauri Prime with deep wounds and the rebuilding won’t be easy. However, IA will help with that. Later, as the party is settling, G’Kar finds Londo out of the terrace, staring out into the sky. She hears his boots clacking against the tiles, but doesn’t turn. She only wipes her eyes and hides the locket containing her husband’s picture. He stands beside her and leans onto the railing. He tells her about his book and that he intends to finish it somewhere he won’t be disturbed. She coolly replies that if he wants to stay on Centauri Prime, he has to talk to the emperor. He already has her permission. G’Kar takes her hand and kisses it before they go back in.


End file.
